Studying abroad increases marketability

International programs aid graduates' chances of finding employment

Florida State University students participating in International Programs are taking full advantage by not only finding new and interesting jobs, but also enjoying the opportunity to experience a different and unique country.

A recent study shows that students who have studied abroad in college find jobs related to their majors faster following graduation—and sometimes get paid at higher salaries. In the International Education of Students (IES) Abroad survey, all but 10 percent of graduates who had studied abroad became employed within six months of becoming alumni, and over half of the jobs received related to their college majors.

Most of these young adults also received jobs that were full time rather than part time with starting salaries of $35,000. Meghan Greene, the marketing director for FSU’s International Programs, said international study may be the deciding factor for hire.

“Often, employers are looking for candidates with international experience, or when they are comparing candidates, those with international experience will help them stand out,” Green said. “Having that on a resume really can boost its quality.”

When comparing graduates who did not study abroad to ones who did, the percentage of employed graduates dropped to 49 percent after a year of their graduation dates. They were also paid an average of $7,000 less than the IES Abroad students. A total of 1,008 graduates participated in this 2012 study, and half of the alumni who studied abroad felt a large reason why they were hired was due to their experiences abroad. A whole 84 percent felt they gained valuable skills for both their future occupations and their lives.Florida State senior Giuliana Capiello fell into this category after spending her whole freshman year of college studying in Florence, London and Barcelona.

“We learned how to be resourceful at a young age,” Capiello said. “We have real-world experience with communicating with people outside of our element.”Myrna Hoover, director of the FSU Career Center, confirms that skills obtained from studying abroad are essential because they show a graduate’s cultural enrichment and global marketability.

“They allow them to promote the fact that they understand people from different backgrounds and different cultures, that they understand this global economy that we live in and that they are comfortable when they go somewhere where they’re unfamiliar [...],” said Hoover.

Acquiring these skills was no walk in the park, Capiello said, since they included trying to navigate through the train systems, being especially watchful over belongings, communicating with the locals, finding food while remaining within her budget and all the while focusing on studies.

“[…] a crash course in multitasking […] nurtured my sense of self-confidence, which is sought after by employers,” Capiello said.

Greene said these multitasking and life skills are a desirable traits for a future employee to have, and managers view the experience highly.

“Studying abroad typically helps students become more independent, often have a broader global perspective and typically helps develop confidence,” Greene said. Hope English, a sophomore at FSU, hopes to gain this adventurous and liberated lifestyle when she studies abroad in London in the fall.

“I’m not a natural adventurer, so I am hoping I will be able to push myself to explore Europe and learn to travel on my own,” English said.

English is well aware of the employment benefits studying abroad brings, and said she is looking forward to the recognition.

“Employers will look for people that work well with others and solve problems, and I think that studying abroad helps students strengthen these skills and will help ones chances at getting a job,” English said.